The Houshi Chronicles
by skysenshi
Summary: The War of the Emperium is at hand and the Houshi Guild members are experiencing great unrest. A collection of Rune-Midgard vignettes set at a war-stricken time. Author's notes change with every new chapter.
1. Infatuation: In Times of War

**_Author's Note:_** This is a continuing collection of War of Emperium stories that may or may have no relation to each other, much like my Suikoden fic "Secret Signs". The third, fourth, and fifth chapter will not be written by me. The fifth chapter has already been done by a dear friend, and it will not be posted until the third and the fourth have been finished. My sister, thundersenshi (also a fanfiction.net author), will be doing the fourth. If you need background info on the Ragnarok Online characters involved here, visit our website tennohoushi.port5.com.

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**INFATUATION: In Times of War**

Mjolnir Highlands has always been my refuge, a place where I can gather all my thoughts and meditate. Here, I safely tuck away my book of profanities and just let my mind roam freely. Sound of mind and sound of body, I breathe deeply as I prepare to gather Rune Midgard's energy between closed palms. 

_War._

I could not concentrate. The word would not stop echoing, reverberating through the walls of my skull like an incessantly buzzing hunter fly. I give up. I sigh as I watch the sun slowly sink into the other side of the world. On some days, sunset would provide me reassurance. Today, it spoke so ominously, reminding me that in a sennight's time, the War of the Emperium would take place. 

"Pai," a familiar voice calls out my real name, effectively jolting me out of my forced reverie. I do not need to turn to see who it is. I knew…who it is. 

"You really know where to find me, Colbey," I say, half in relief and half in irritation that _he_ would dare come to confuse me at such a bad time. 

"I see you are worried," he replies. "Lady H is chosen to be one of the Houshi representatives and Cat's Eye has gone undercover so she could gather some intel. It is but understandable that you wouldn't be able to meditate under the circumstances. The H-Angels are your family." 

I snort and face him, something that I actually didn't want to do, considering the man has always been able to get under my skin. "You certainly know your info. Been busy gossiping again, I see. You should go disturb Yozora. She has more bloody…filth that you just might find valuable." 

The man had the audacity to laugh. I couldn't help but scowl. "So what brings you here?" 

He comes nearer. I shiver. But it wasn't because of the cold. I have always hated it when he chips away at my personal space. My mind is askew enough as it is. His presence would only make things worse. He unnerves me in ways he would never know. Should never know. 

"I am moving to Alberta," is all he says. He reaches out for one of my pigtails and softly tugs at my hair. 

"At this time of war?" I ask, aghast. "You must be lusting after Catarina now, if you could think about Alberta in the midst of all this!" 

He clucks his tongue, his countenance visibly amused. "Jealous?" 

"Bloody fucking he--!" 

"I am only doing what you require, m'dear," he interrupts me and raises both hands as if in surrender. "You want to reject me because you think I am useless. I am not. But I must admit that I love sitting around doing nothing, instead of slaving away in Byalan like my brother Rahkee. If I must sit around and do nothing, I might as well make myself useful…while sitting around and practically doing nothing." 

His declaration surprises me. He makes sense, while not making sense at the same time. But that's Colbey for you, a man who swings back and forth the extreme ends of the proverbial pendulum. He raises one eyebrow, then continues, "Or is it that you want to reject me because you're afraid of getting too close? Hm?" 

I turn away from him again. "Go if you must," I retort. "There is a war I must attend to. And I haven't heard from Cat's Eye. I'm concerned that she got too broken hearted over Naizen that she gave herself up to those Bastione rogues…in the guise of extracting intel." 

I refuse to look back. I refuse to see his face; the disarmingly sly smile…the intensity of his gaze. I can't look back. I won't. 

And I feel it. His hand reaching out but stopping midway. It has always been like this. Sometimes I know that he wants to touch me, but he restrains himself from doing so. I am not any different. Sometimes I want him but I need my self control. And then I find myself wondering, _Is it really necessary? This restraint I impose upon my back?_

I hear him walk away from me, his footsteps slowly receding into the background. Once again he leaves me unsettled. Yet I take comfort in the idea that I would be safe. My emotions would be intact. At least, for now. 


	2. The OneEyed Cat

**The One-Eyed Cat **

_"Yoritomo Naizen." _

_ I feel my eyebrows meeting in obvious irritation. Where in the blue blazes is Yozora going with this? Is this some sort of a sick prank? I shake my head, determined not to let the girl's foolishness faze me. _

_"No," I reply vehemently. "Absolutely not. You have got to be kidding!" _

_"`He was a thief, a pirate, and a cutthroat until Kitao made him one of her generals. Now he isn't a thief anymore.´ Yoritomo Kitoa's words. No information can be more accurate than that." Yep. Yozora was dead serious. Maybe she is right. Maybe there is no other solution. _

_"The only way for you to infiltrate the Rogues Guild is for you to know what it is you are going up against. Naizen knows them like the back of his hand." She walks towards the center table, picks up a couple of gadgets and throws them at me. _

_"Here! That's your com link and that ring? That baby will be your video camera." _

_ I catch the gadgets with two hands; position the com link in my ear and the ring on my finger. "And my alias?" This is the first time that I would be doing something like this, and frankly, I am shaking inside. _

_"No other alias. Just go with the usual, Cat's Eye."_

And that was how I found myself here, at the corner of Naizen's bedroom, waiting in the dark. Others wouldn't think it unusual that I'd be here. I have been known to _stalk_ Naizen. Yep, Cat's Eye, the well-known flirt has her own favorite, and I am sitting in his very room. 

The reason for it? Why I go all out to disturb him and nobody else? You will love this. While Pisces tries to be cold and aloof to drive the one she wants away, I stalk. We all know that the more you chase a guy, the harder it is for him to like you back. Pretty nifty plan of action, huh? That method, however, would only be effective if Naizen didn't flirt back. 

He likes joking around. If Catarina or Himeya kisses him in jest, he will return the gesture in the same manner. If you haven't seen him in battle, you'd think that he never takes things seriously. He is lively to a fault. 

And that is why I had to stop. I realize that the more I play this game with him, the more I find him endearing. _Whoa, girl, you have it bad!_ That's what I'd say. But discontinuing the game means I would no longer be able to act normally around him. And that is just as bad. 

The sound of the door opening halted my wayward line of thinking. Ah, if I were my normal self, I'd welcome him with a hug and, "Dahling, you're back!" Instead, I greet him with a somber expression. 

"Cat's Eye," he whispers in that bewildered tone of voice. Yep, I know what you wanna ask, dahling. What in the dusty thorn bushes am I doing here? 

I grin good-naturedly. "I didn't come here to seduce you, dahling, so you have nothing to worry about." I stand up and meet him halfway, stopping only when I was but a hairsbreadth away from him. 

"I need to get into the Rogues Guild," I murmur, not looking at him. 

He stands still for a while, looking like he wants to say something, or do something, but is thinking better of it. Finally, he decides to rest his hand on top of my head. All right, treat me like a child, will ya? I am two years older! 

"Is that the reason why you said you might be leaving for good?" Very straight-to-the-point, dahling! And very disconcerting, I might add. "You think you're gonna die, don't you?" Did I fail to mention, he could be exasperating at times? 

I laugh, trying to hide my nervousness. "Dahling, you know I can't die a virgin!" I turn around and sit on his bed. Whoops, I shouldn't have done that. Too suggestive. He might think I _am_ trying to seduce him…if only to get information! Ah, well…too late for that now. 

"What do you know about the Rogues Guild?" I urge him. I will not be swayed by that horrified stare. "I promise to come back in one piece? Come on, Naizen, help me out here? Do I have to hypnotize you to get it out of you?" Not that I knew anything about hypnotism. I am no Yozora. But observing that face, clearly bluffing is going to become my last resort. 

"Very well," he sighs, resignation written all over his body. "There is a member who calls himself Rogue. He is like the elder of all the thieves in that guild. Make him notice you and you'll get all the intel you need." 

"Any idea on how to make this job easier?" I ask. Goodness sakes, this feels like plucking your eyebrows and helplessly pulling at the stubbles left. Naizen sure doesn't seem like he'd want to make it easier for me. 

He hesitates. Takes a deep breath. Walks closer to me. Finally, his eyes lock gazes with mine, unwilling to let go until I understand the gravity of this mission. _What are you trying to say?_

"You are his type. That makes it easy enough." 

Great. "You mean I have to sleep with this dude?" I really can't be blamed if I look like I'm about to retch uncontrollably. Nope, he certainly doesn't want me dead, but he has no qualms telling me I have to do the you-know-what with a guy I haven't even met. _Honestly, Nai, do you really hate me that much?_

It's my turn to sigh. "Very well, then." I stand up for the last time and stride towards the door. I was just about to turn and thank him, when a very near presence behind my back makes me jump. 

"No, you are not going to die a maiden," he states. I feel cold metal lock itself around my wrist, followed by the sound of an alarming click. I couldn't believe it! Did Naizen just cuff me!? Whatever happened to the subtle man who never interfered with anybody's business? 

"…Because you are not going to die." 

I grimace as I carefully shut the door, afraid that a single squeak would wake the entire Go Rin No Kyoushou House. I shake my head, remembering the diabolical methods I used to escape without being detected. All I needed was one of Yozora's potions, my trusty stellar pin, and my talent for picking locks. Yet, at that moment in time, when I fixed my eyes upon Naizen's peaceful visage, it seemed like the most difficult thing to do. _I'm so sorry I had to knock you unconscious after all this… But, why do you underestimate me so, Naizen? Have you forgotten that we had the same training, the same roots?_

"Cat's Eye!" 

Uh…oh. Shit! 

"Arb!" I muster a sheepish grin. This is so not my day. Part of me screams that I should go and do my job. Five weeks before the War of Emperium breaks out. I am well aware that this is not the time to get sidetracked. Not now. Not again. "Err…I was just looking for Dairyu and I seem to have gotten lost. You Go Rins don't really need this big a house, right?" 

He smiles gently, taking hold of my arm in a brotherly fashion. "Dai is in the conference room with…um…I don't think I'm at the liberty to discuss our issues with non-Go Rins, though." 

"Oh," I say, feigning disappointment. Arbalest has always been such a nice all-around _oniichan_. I almost hate myself for lying to him like this. "I'll go on with my business, then." 

"Where are you going, by the way?" he queries, not quite letting go of my arm. Something tells me I am not going to get out of here unscathed after all. A look of concern passes over Arb's face. The H-Angels' mission is top secret, known only to the Houshi Guildmasters. Could I betray that confidentiality? I find myself struggling for words. I am not good at concocting make-believe tales. Then again… 

"Arb, can I ask you for a teeny weeny favor?" I bite my lip, praying for a positive response. 

"Sure, Cats, what is it?" 

Yosh! 

"No wonder you needed a priest! You would have perished on these fields alone!" Arb exclaims. "I would bet you will never get to Bastione in one piece if you insist on taking the gargoyle's route." He seems full of energy, despite the fact that we had been traveling for hours. I, on the other hand, have been completely zapped. 

"I can't risk teleporting," I reply. "We'll be detected. Kafras have been tapped." 

"I know." Arb makes a face. "We actually have the same project going on. We sent one of the Go Rins on a counter mission." 

I nodded in understanding. The War of the Emperium has been stressful for all of us, guildmates and guild allies alike. All this talk of securing properties make me want to hurl. People are bound to die—all because of vanity and greed. And it's not just the humans who are causing this. Even other races have participated in the bid for power and fame. It makes me sick. Damn sick. 

Arb stops in midstride. "You might want to refresh yourself. We're here. I can't join you when you enter the Rogues Guild, though. It would compromise Go Rin's own mission." 

I hug him tightly, like it would be the last I'm seeing him. I smile and kiss his cheek and almost tearfully whisper my thanks. Here goes nothing. I am on my own 

I just wish, that if I had to die, I did not have to die alone. 

The man who wouldn't say his name continues to lead me inside the walls of an underground establishment. His earlier greeting, when I approached the guild entrance, was rather rude. He seemed to believe me, however, when I told him I was applying rogueship. I am, after all, dressed in my thief's clothing. My katars are nowhere in sight. I brought nothing that would give people clues as to who I really am. 

I have never heard him utter anything more than a grunt, so it surprises me that he would speak as soon as we arrive at the center of the hall. His voice is gruff in an almost adorable kind of way, his platinum hair straight and clean. Save for his punk-rock getup, he bears the look of someone who takes his bath regularly. It's just a shame he intimidates the hell out of me…enough to make me think twice about flirting with him. 

"Your name?" he demands. 

"Cat's Eye," I respond rather meekly. 

I tell myself to refrain from gawking as I watch him sit on what looks to be like a master's chair. He straightens his back, playing nonchalantly with his crimson yoyo before returning his watchful glare on my face. Then it hit me. No…it can't be! Can it? This dude is The Rogue? The notorious "Elder" of the Rogues Guild? 

"You have the look of an elf," he then says. "Are you?" 

"Half-elf, milord." I bow my head. Those eyes unnerve me. It would be wise to keep my own pair off them. 

"Stand up and come closer." I truly believe that I wanted to rebel, but my body seems to move to the commands of his intoxicating voice. I find myself doing as he asks, coming closer, standing just inches away from him, placing myself between his knees. My mind feels violated. 

He raises his right hand as if to touch me, but he draws it back. A smirk forms slowly in his beautiful face, made even more beautiful by a set of breathtaking dimples that are only revealing themselves now. 

"You have a man." It isn't a question. He is evidently telling me that he knows something I don't know. "I can smell him on your skin. And that scent…seems familiar." 

My eyebrow twitches in half-masked irritation. Do all female rogues undergo such humiliating examinations? What in the dusty thorn bushes is this man insinuating? I have never been so insulted in my entire life! 

"I don't have a man, milord," I retort caustically, only to revert back into the acquiescent countenance that I seem to have mastered ever since I met The Rogue. His eyes probe through mine for the nth time, as if judging the weight of my words. That infuriating smirk appears yet again. 

"You know how to use a bow?" 

Yep, dahling. Thank heavens for Lady H's crash courses. I may never be as good as her, but at least I could dish out decent damage. I certainly hope that that would be enough to impress this "Elder". I merely nod in acknowledgment of his question. 

"Good." He stands up, and allows me to walk three steps behind him. "Come with me. I will accompany you to your first mission: To retrieve a hundred skulls marked with Dark Lord's seal." The Rogue walks over to a mahogany cabinet, grabs a few undesirable clothes, and passes them to me. I assume, with much distaste, that I would be wearing the tacky outfits. Then again, there isn't any time to think of fashion—not when you can feel a leader as daunting as The Rogue scrutinize your every move. 

"I will see for myself what you are made of. If you are actually hiding a powerful Valkyrie beneath that pretty face." 

The task had not been easy. Not even when had am armed with an ultra-upgraded bow that had been slapped with three André cards. Even the silver arrows took some time to seep into the undead lord's skin. That part of the mission would've been Lady H's forte, not mine. 

It took days, even weeks, for me to gather a hundred skulls marked with the Dark Lord's seal. Dark Lord would die, get resurrected by his liege, and I would come back to kill him—doube strafe him repeatedly from afar and just flywing when his Illusions come to exact vengeance. The cycle would repeat as if it were an aspect of a never-ending nightmare. With each passing day, I felt my eyes sink deeper into my head, and my body almost give out in disrepair. 

When I returned to camp on the fourth week, The Rogue had been apparently pleased. So pleased was he that he after he announced our victory, he forcibly took me in his arms and planted his lips upon my own. I wondered if it were some kind of Rogues Guild ritual practiced on the eve of victorious battles? 

Still, I never let my guard down, knowing what these people have in store for our guilds, the Houshi, and the Go Rin no Kyoushou. As these memories linger in my head, I brood on the knowledge I have fed to Yozora's computer thus far. Will she finish analyzing everything in time? The War of Emperium will be starting in a week's time and here I am, stuck in a place where nobody respects anything. 

And then I hear it. I hear them. 

_Thud. Thud. __Thud._

I abruptly look to the side as my ears start twitching. I can hear the voices and footsteps, rushing to different directions. I sense the anxiety, the anger, and the outrage. I hear The Rogue's voice, filled with animosity and betrayal. My heart nearly stops beating. I touch my earrings, my fingers shaking in their urgency. 

"Yozora," I whisper into the com link, my eyes already darting to and from the room, looking for something…anything. 

I hear a hissing sound before Yozora's voice comes through. "Yes, Cat's Eye?" The com link hisses, then clears. It has never been affected by so much static before. Has my com link been ID'd? But I take my chance. The mission has moved into a dangerous curve. Once more I place my finger against the earring. 

"I have been compromised." 


End file.
